Amon-Ra St. Brown: As Soon as Ben Johnson Arrives, We're Booing Him
The Detroit Lions are expecting a rowdy environment at Ford Field for the 2025 home opener.
Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson is not going to be welcomed by the crowd, many of whom still harbor resentment he chose to leave the Lions to join a division rival.
Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown expressed he is ready for everyone to boo Detroit's former offensive coordinator. Guest Rome Odunze indicated Johnson is ready for a passionate crowd at Ford Field.
"Week 2 is going to be so crazy, I promise you it's going to be so electric," said St. Brown on last week's episode of his podcast. ... "As soon as Ben walks in there, we're booing him. I don't give a f**k. We are all booing him."
Speaking to reporters, the Bears first-year head coach feels like environment will be playoff-like.
“Maybe (a silent count) will help this week. We’re going to need to do that and we’re going to need to be really good at that because this is going to be a loud environment that we’re going to,” Johnson told reporters on Tuesday. “This is going to be a playoff-like atmosphere. Ford Field has been something else over the last couple of years so we’re going to have to be at our best.”
Dan Campbell expressed this week he feels he is on an even playing field with Johnson, but really wants his team to hone in the fundamentals, as the Lions had far too many missed assignments against the Packers.
“I think we’re on equal playing ground really. I think it’s the same thing. He knows what we’re about, we know what he’s about and because of that you’re going to play that game a little bit," said Campbell. "But the game doesn’t matter if you don’t master the basics inside the game and so that’s what we have to get back to. We’ve got to worry about ourselves right now and just hone in on the little things.”
Despite Johnson coaching in the division, Johson and Campbell remain friends.
"No, listen, Ben’s my friend. He’s always going to be my friend," said Campbell. "But nothing about that’s going to change. We’re going in, getting ready to play Chicago, we’re going to win this game, we have to. We’ve got to find a way to clean things up and do what we’ve got to do and they’re going to try to do the same thing. It’s like every week.”
Jets' Aaron Glenn 'disappointed but highly encouraged' by Week 1 loss
The New York Jets' 34-32 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers to open the Aaron Glenn era will feel like the one that got away, and for a team that is desperate for wins, this one will sting.
Having won all the major statistical categories except the score (most important one), there was plenty to like for the Jets, on both sides of the ball, with Justin Fields running Tanner Engstrand's offense well. The defense gave up a total of just 53 rushing yards but did allow four Aaron Rodgers passing touchdowns.
So, there were a lot of positive things to take out of Week 1, but one thing we know about Glenn is that he isn't about moral victories; he wants proper wins.
But what were his main takeaways from the loss?
“Disappointed, but highly encouraged on things that I saw on tape,” Glenn said. “From an offensive perspective, I think we played exactly the brand of football that we've been actually practicing going from OTAs all the way into training camp. Defensively, I thought our front did a really nice job of creating pressure and stopping the run. Exactly what we want to do to make a team one-dimensional.”
Encouraging signs from Jets in season opener
Justin Fields and the offense rolled for the most part...until the fourth quarter, when it hit the skids and scored on just one of their four possessions.
But it is Week 1, so we aren't throwing the baby out with the bath water; however, this loss was one that the Jets shouldn't have had. They did more than enough to win the game, and as Glenn mentioned, the offense played like it was supposed to, and the defense made Pittsburgh one-dimensional.
Yet Rodgers still tossed four touchdown passes to lead his new team to a win.
Disappointed but highly encouraged feels like the perfect summation of New York in Week 1.
Let's see if they can build on it.
